A group young adults were located in the early morning hours Thursday after they had gotten lost while floating on the South River.

Rockdale County Fire Division and rescue personnel received a call in the early evening from the group, located them shortly after midnight and left with the last person around 2 a.m.

"It had gotten dark. They got lost, it got cold, they called for help," said RCFD spokesperson Deputy Chief Mike Lee.

The group had started out on inner tubes and inflatable rafts during the day around Daniel's Bridge Road, but as it got dark and they became disoriented, they stopped and made a phone call for help.

Rescue personnel from the RCFD, Rockdale County Sheriff's Office, and DeKalb agencies calculated about how far the group might have gone and began walking up the river bank. The group was eventually located about a half mile upstream of Oglesby Bridge Road.

The group was fine, "just cold and wet," said Lee. Emergency medical personnel checked and released them at the scene.

Although the number of river rescues varies from year to year - "Some years we don't have much, and some years we may have two or three" - Lee advised that anyone spending time floating down the river should take certain precautions.

"They should have knowlege of the area. They should plan for things," said Lee, including having a third party meet them at their exit location when they're expected back. Standard boating safety measures, such as life preservers, should also be taken into account.

The rivers are also more hazardous after heavy rains and when the water levels are higher, Lee pointed out.